Fluorescent light safety lock remover



July31, T951 R. T. RIKER ErAl.

FLUORESCENT LIGHT SAFETY LOCK REMOVER 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 14, 1945 IN VEN TOR. Robe/' T/P//fer o BY WMM A TTU/Mfr July 3l, 1951 R. T. RIKER ETAL FLUoREscENT LIGHT SAFETY Locx REMovER 3 Sheets-*Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1945 y.INI/ENTOR. ROBERT T. RIKER gli By JOSEPH H. MOLAT ATTOR NEY July 3l, 1951 R. T. RIKER ETAI.v

i FLUQRESCENT LIGHT SAFETY Loox REMovER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 141, 1945 INVENTOR. ROBERT T. R'IKER BY A.JOSEPH H. MQLAT ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1 951 vris- 62,211

' FIioREsoEN'rscIGHT.-sAErrYLooKL REMovEit Robert T. Riker and Josepli'H: Molat;

New York, N. Y.

amended April 130;,-1928370 0\. Gc- '757).'y

-Th'isi invention Vrelates in generali to aV deviceVJ for removingfandreplacing 4distantobjects; andi ineparticularto =such'\ af device forA ch'angingfsarety-f locks ont-'fluorescenti light iixt'ures wheresuchxf tures are located fini elevatedpositions or `in other' positions that are Yinaccessible vto handzoperationz JIhere at; present.4in1-commercial' use l in con-f nectiorr. .with fluorescent 'light' fixtures asafety lock. fort preventing '-the accidental" loosening of theviluorescentltube which. not onlywould `cause- ;breakagaoi the-tube but might cause damage to surroundingiobj ects and endanger working personnel. Before the fluorescent lamps or tubes can be removedl-it tisneeess'ary'fto remove the safetnloclg-.f :gIt-fistoftenfkdesirable#tousezarlarnpiohang' er (such as that described in our-:copendingiaper plication, SerialfNo.- 635,- 130.,. led December 14, 1945, which maturedinto n Patent Number 2,504,1`52-on April 18, 1950) lfrom the floor-to're' move these tubes rather than' to employistepladders;Y staging or sca-ioldsf', and'in some instances itfis impossible to usesuch Arigging because of underlying` machineryv or other furnishings; Therefore w it;Y also -isnecessaryto provide means for 'removingl the-safety- -lockfroma remote v po- Siton.

object of thisinvention isV` to provide`-` an implementgliavinga longhandle--that'dis iight in weight and easily manipulated for releasing and removing such safety locks from remotely located fluorescent light iixtures and for replacing such locks.

Further objects and advantages of this invention, as well as its construction, arrangement and operation, are apparent from the following description and claims in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device of this invention,

Fig. 2 is a top View of the device of Figure 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device showing its relation with respect to a safety lock in a fluorescent light xture during the removal thereof, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view looking from the right of Fig. .3;

Fig. 5 is an isometric View showing the device in position to start withdrawal of the pin from the lock;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view showing the device acting upon the lool:v to release the pin;

Fig. 7 is an isometric view showing the device withdrawing the pin from the lock;

Fig. 8 is an isometric view showing the device inserting the pin in the lock;

1 Fig. 91 is`- ari-'isometric'. viewf showing .ther device forcing'cthe. pin into .engagement with .thelocks The: safety: lock: changer comprisesVv a furcated member generally designated I0 madeupof two# leaves lI-2:.a'nd lFigure 11). resilient material riveted.' bolted:.:or otherwise. joinedf togethertat 'IiIiriy and.; b'oltedori otherwise securedat. Iz8 to .a lhandle-.fl 2l) of. wood: orzotheir.- lightweight material.'r Thai leaves; .I 2 .and Idaareicutz tos provide stepped end portions122aandlMMFigs. `Land 3) that arerflared slightlyatlZiandZ B`.(Eigs;:2 andflt) i Figs; .31:and14 showthes'afety loch; to*` which sthe; device of this invention is particularlyfadaptable. This lock comprises a flat memberillsofaresilient materialir having 'fholesszmvandrBfdesigned' to accommo'datei :the-1 'contact' ypins-@35s` 'ofi-aa; standard? uorescentf lamplvtubef 36.2 A prnj'ectingear 3I'i extends` from'. the Ilat..membert3it and'. is slotted;y at 38 to.- receive :am In-shapediz-lockingJ-pin Ssa Locking: pin 3.9: iaprowidedwith; anotchwll!A into; which.. the'v projecting! .ear- '31rnormally.' snaps-` Once inser-ted;the1.locking: pin 1 139 i stayslinxplace duetto thea bearing-z of: tha-:outer extremity of. the: slot 13 8'2 inthe?. notch: wiandiipreventsi any turning-3 movement of the. tube. 36. byicooperation. with'.l the lamps'socket (not. slim/111%..4 In '.order: toure= move the 1ockingpirrl 39S thefprojecting .earf'flVv 'isi depressed .pasti the'znotohsdlliandi atA the vsame time the locking pin is pulled out of the slot 38.

An operator standing on the floor centers the pin 39 between the leaves I2 and I4 of the lock changer by means of the flared portions 26 and 28. Upward pressure then forces the device upon the pin 39 with the extending portion 24 forcing projecting ear 3'I back past the notch lill. This position is shown in Fig. 3. The lock changer is lowered, and the locking pin 39 is pulled from the iixture, remaining between the leaves I2 and I4. The resiliency of the material of which the lock changer is constructed causes the device to grip the pin 39 suiciently to enable it to be Withdrawn. Optionally, corrugations or teeth are provided upon the internal surface of the leaves I2 and I4 as seen at 29.

The operation of withdrawing pin 39 from lock 3D is further shown in Figs. 5 to 7. In Fig. 5, tool ID is positioned with ared portions 26 below notch 40 of lock ear 31. In Fig. 6, tool Ill is moved upwardly so that ared portions 25 force lock ear 31 upwardly and out of engagement with pin notch 40 to release pin 39. At the same time tool end portions 22 and 24 of leaves I2 and I4 grip the bottom of pin 39. In Fig. 7, tool IIJ is moved downwardly with tool end portions 22 and 24 gripping pin 39 to withdraw pin 39 from lock 30.

In replacing the pin 39 it is placed between the leaves I2 and I4 forward of the extending portion 24 so that upon insertion of the pin in the fixture the projecting ear 31 is not pushed down but instead is left free to snap into the notch 40.

The operation of inserting or replacing pin 39 in lock 30 is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In Fig. 8, tool IIJ has been reversed from left to right relative to the position shown in Figs. 5 to 7. The bottom of pin 39 is gripped by tool end portions 22 and 24 of leaves I2 and I4, with tool flared portions 28 below pin notch 40. Pin 39 is inserted into lock slot 38. As shown in Fig. 9, tool I0 is moved upwardly to force pin 39 into lock slot 38 so that lock ear 31 snaps into engagement with pin notch 40. In the inserting operation, flared portions 26 are out of registration with lock ear 31 so that the latter is free to engage pin notch 40.

It requires only a matter of seconds to remove a safety lock in this manner and the fluorescent tube can then be removed by any conventional lamp changer.

It is to be understood that various modifications and changes can be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool comprising a pair of elongated, opposed spring leaves fastened together remote from their opposed ends, said leaves having their opposed ends iiared away from each other, each leaf being formed with a first terminal and a second terminal spaced longitudinally beyond the rst terminal, said terminals extending trans' versely and inwardly from opposite edges of a single leaf, the first and second terminals being both longitudinally and transversely offset, and the rst terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relation and the second terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relation.

2. A tool comprising a pair of elongated, op-

posed spring leaves fastened together remote from their opposed ends, said leaves having their opposed ends flared away from each other, each leaf being formed with a iirst terminal and a second terminal spaced longitudinally beyond the rst terminal, said terminals extending .transversely and inwardly from opposite edges of a single leaf, said terminals being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool, the first and second terminals being both longitudinally and l transversely offset, and the first terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relation and the second terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relation.

3. A tool comprising a pair of elongated, opposed spring leaves fastened together remote from their opposed ends, said leaves having their opposed ends ared away from each other, each leaf being formed with a first terminal and a second terminal spaced longitudinally beyond the first terminal, said terminals extending transversely and inwardly from opposite edges of a. single leaf, said terminals being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tool, the rst and second terminals being both longitudinally and transversely offset, the first terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relation and the second terminals of the two leaves being in opposed relaf tion, and opposed teeth formed on the opposed faces of said leaves adjacent the first terminals.

ROBERT T. RIKER. JOSEPH H. MOLAT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Herman Mar. 10, 1942 

